From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja
The aspirant who is also the son of the former governor of the state, Late Prince Abubakar Audu, disclosed this at a Media Parley organised by Kogi council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) for governorship aspirants in Lokoja.
The Junior Audu said that with pragmatic leadership supported with experience and exposure, he had the ability to develop abundant potentials in the state to generate between N4.5 billion and N6 billion monthly from internal sources.
He said that Kogi was presently heavily dependent on “Federal Government Subvention” adding that his Leadership would effect a shift from the unhealthy tradition of waiting for the Federal Allocations to pay salaries and execute projects.
Audu said that the state under his Leadership would create or generate over 10,000 employment opportunities for the teeming unemployed youths in the state adding that agriculture would be vigorously pursued.
He said that the State had suffered a lot of misfortune economically adding that the last time Kogi witnessed any meaningful development was between 1999 and 2003 and that was the reason his father took it upon himself to re-contest.
The governorship aspirant conceded that it was not a right for him, as the son of the former governor, to contest for the governorship saying, “The processes of election does not give room for dynasty.
“We are trying to manage complete breakdown of the state. Healthcare is in comatose, no quality drugs and qualified personnel.
“Education is in disarray. Curriculums will have to be reviewed and no child should walk for more than one Kilometre to get to school. Tertiary institutions would be given adequate finding”, he assured.
The APC Governorship aspirant assured workers and pensioners that the issue of non payment of salary and pensions would be adequately taken care off by his administration.
On infrastructure, he pledged that his government would embark on road rehabilitations and reconstruction of new and old roads across the three senatorial districts of the state.
He said women would constitute substantial part of the government adding that local industries would be established while funding would be provided them through local micro finance outposts as part of empowerment.
In the area of security he promised to mop up all illegal guns in the hands of youths and unauthorised persons by giving them jobs and cash in exchange.
